This paper reports on the systematic electromechanical characterization of a new three-axial force sensor used in dimensional metrology of micro components. The silicon based sensor system consists of piezoresistive mechanical stress transducers integrated in thin membrane hinges supporting a suspended flexible cross structure. The mechanical behavior of the fragile micromechanical structure is...

We developed a compact tactile sensor in order to guide the clinician or the self-user for non-invasive detection of lumps. The new design has an advantage over the existing discrete tactile sensors and detection methods by efficiently sensing force distribution over an area without any side effects. The sensor consists of 10×10 infrared emitter-detector pairs, a silicon-rubber elastic pad, and...

We developed and characterized a rapid, sensitive and integrated optical vapor sensor array for micro-gas chromatography (μGC) applications. The sensor is based on the Fabry-Pérot (FP) interferometer formed by a micrometre-thin vapor-sensitive polymer layer coated on a silicon wafer. The thickness and the refractive index of the polymer vary in response to the vapor analyte, resulting in a chan...

A digital moisture measuring instrument based on phase angle measuring technique with porous silicon (PSi) or porous alumina (PA) as capacitive moisture sensor is proposed. The proposed technique can measure digitally the phase angle change of capacitive impedance of porous silicon or porous alumina sensor due to change in moisture concentration in terms of clock pulses. Analysis shows that the...

We present a design of a vision sensor device, implemented in a three-dimensional (3D) silicon on insulator (SOI) 150nm CMOS technology. The proof-of-concept device contains an image sensor array on one layer, and a pitchmatched array of 32x32 pixel-parallel processors, distributed over two further layers. The processor array uses mixed-mode processing elements and operates in SIMD (Single Inst...

BACKGROUND An experimental and theoretical study of a silicon-nanowire field-effect transistor made of silicon on insulator by CMOS-compatible methods is presented. RESULTS A maximum Nernstian sensitivity to pH change of 59 mV/pH was obtained experimentally. The maximum charge sensitivity of the sensor was estimated to be on the order of a thousandth of the electron charge in subthreshold mod...

Microfabricated semiconductor devices are becoming increasingly relevant, also for the detection of biological and chemical quantities. Especially, the “marriage” of biomolecules and silicon technology often yields successful new sensor concepts. The fabrication techniques of such silicon-based chemical sensors and biosensors, respectively, will have a distinct impact in different fields of app...

By applying the etching via technology, this study proposes a novel front-side etching fabrication process for a silicon-based piezoresistive pressure sensor to replace the conventional back-side bulk micro-machining. This novel structure pressure sensor can achieve the distinguishing features of the chip size reduction and fabrication costs degradation. In order to investigate the sensor perfo...